Conduit for electric railways



. (N0 Model.)

' E. THOMSON.

GONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 413,294. Patented 00. '22; 1889.

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3& 61m r L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'ELIHU THOMSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDUIT FOR "ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,294, dated October 22, 1889.

Application filed March 5, 1889 Serial 110' 301,912. (No model.)v

To all whom Tit 7771001] concern.- I

Be it known that I, ELIHU THOMSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new pieces, upon which the grooved or channeled side of the conductor rests, while the upper surface of the conductor forms the contactsurface upon which the contact borne by the vcar or vehicle travels.

My invention consists in closing the slot of the conduit with a brush or broom like'septum or guard, the fibers of which extend transversely into the slot from the side thereof. One brush extending acrossthe slot may be used, or two meeting at their free ends in the slot may be employed. The brush effectually closes the slot, although not solidly, because of the capillary action of the spaces between thefibers-or individual stems making up the brush or broom, while its springy nature enables it to yield in the direction of the slot to permit the plow or bar carried by the car and supporting the contact shoes or brushes Within the conduit to pass.

My invention consists, also, in certain de tails of construction, to be more particularly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a transverse section of a conduit embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a broken section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a modified form; Fig. at is a top or plan view of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 show other, modifications in transverse section.

In Fig. 1, B B is the trough or conduit of any material -such, for instance, as castir'on-=with a slot at top, and, ifdesired, capplates K K, surmounting the conduit and receiving the wear at the street-surface. conduit rests, as usual, on sleepers W, or is otherwise supported, and is provided with the usual drain-tube D. I

F indicates the continuous brush or broom which closes the slot. This brush is virtually a continuous bundle or succession of bundles of springy fibers or stems, which may be of any desired material. For cheapness, tampico, broom-corn, or other cheap material such as is employed in making brushes andbrooms may be used.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 two brushes or brooms are used, projecting from opposite sides of the slot and meeting at their free endsto close it. The fibers or stems are set to project transversely to the slot and preferably with a slight upward inclination. A single brush, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, might be used. Before or after being put in place I prefer to thoroughly soak the brush with melted tallow, thick oil, or other lubricating water-repellent, thereby more eifectually preventing the passage of water and the Wetting of the brush, so that it might in cold weather freeze solid.

The contact-plow P, or other supporting device depending from the car and entering the slot, is tapered at each end and pushes the brush aside as it passes along, as indicated in Fig. 4. The elasticity of the brush causes it to close up the slot behind the plow.

The

The brush may be supported in any desired way-as, for instance, in grooves in the edge of the slot. Adesirable way,permitting ready removal, as shown in Fig. l, is to employ the removable Wear-plates K as clamps for holding the brush.

The brush might be supported, in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, beneath the top plate of the conduit instead of from a groove at the edge of the slot. i

As a conductor within the. conduit, I employ an inverted channel-piece or V or troughshaped bar 0, resting on insulating-pieces I, which latter lie within the groove and are fastened to the supporting rods, arms, or brackets A, of iron or other desired metal, in any suitable manner. The arms A are bolted or otherwise fastened to the side of the conduit, and are preferably enameled or coated all over with an insulating material. The fastening-bolts are also insulated from the arms by suitable interposed insulating material, and insulating material is likewise interposed between the brackets and the side of the conduit at the point of support. By these devices strength is secured and leakage is prevented. The enameling of the bracket 'gives it a moisture-resisting surface and in- C and O are versely into the slot from the side thereof and at a slight upward inclination.

3. The combination, with the slotted conduit, of a yielding slot-closer soaked with an oily material or water-repellent substance.

The upper surface of the conductor 4. The combination, with the slotted conduit, of a springy slot-closer adapted to yield in alongitudinal direction or in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

5. The combination, with the conduit, of the fibrous or springy slot-closer clamped by a removable top piece of the conduit, as and for the purpose described,

6. The combination, with a slotted electric conduit, of an elastic or springy slot-closer clamped by a removable wear-plate at the edge of the slot, as and for the purpose described.

7. A slotted conduit having a groove at the edge of the slot holding a yielding or springy slot-closer. 7

8. The combination,with the inverted-V or trough shaped conductor, of the supportingbrackets A, having at their upper ends insulating-pieces in the groove or trough of the conductor and coated or enameled with an insulating material, as and for the purpose described.

Signed at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this 28th day of February, A. D. 1889.

ELIHU THOMSON Witnesses:

J. W. GIBBONEY, A. L. ROHRER. 

